Dial construction



wl D. TEAGUE, JR

March 28, 1939.

f DIAL CONSTRUCTION Filed Deb.

INVENTOR. ML TER .aRw//v YEAGUEJIQ BY Patented Mar. 28, 1939 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE DIAL CONSTRUCTION Application December 2, 1937,Serial No. 177,708

5 Claims.

My invention applies in general to means for effecting and indicatingthe tuning of radio sets and it has for its general objects, theprovision of a newV and improved assembly, and the provision of amulti-scaled dial, which when viewed at an angle to the general plane ofthe dial, nevertheless presents to the eye the portions of the scalefigures necessary to be read, in a plane substantially normal to theline of vision. It is also my object to produce a dial assembly having ahighly ornamented and attractive appearance, although simple inconstruction and comparatively inexpensive.

In radio sets the dial is almost invariably located on the front face ofthe cabinet, and in many radio sets the dial is no more than waist high.One of the inconveniences of tuning a radio set, therefore, is thenecessity of crouching or stooping in order to inspect the dial. ThisVindicates the importance of the second general object of my inventionoutlined above.

These and other objects of my invention, which will be set forthhereinafter, or will be apparent to one skilled in the art upon readingthese specifications, I accomplish by that certain construction andarrangement of parts of which I shall now describe a preferredembodiment, but nevertheless an embodiment in its simplest form. It willbe understood that more elaborate constructions may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention and that additional featuresmay be added as required. Reference may now be made to the drawingwherein:

Fig. l is a face View of my assembly with certain parts broken away.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the assembly.

Fig. 3 is a perspective View of the dial itself.

The general construction of my assembly will best be appreciated fromthe description which follows. I have shown in Fig. 2 the shaft I of acondenser gang or other tuning instrumentality of the radio set. This isindicated as fitted with a tuning knob 2. This, of course, is thesimplest form of structure. Where desired a Vernier drive for thecondenser may be employed having a plurality of knobs, one at least ofwhich, is mounted on a sleeve on the condenser shaft as in well knownconstructions.

I have shown the shaft passing through a large perforation 3 in thefront wall of a radio cabinet. A dial member 5 may be attached to theshaft I by means of a collar E or the like, and will receive moreextended description later.

A cover member l of dished form is employed. This cover member istransparent in part at least.

It may be made of glass or other clear substance; but I have found thatit can conveniently and economically be made of pressed, clear, heavyCelluloid. When so made, it may be attached to the wall 4 of the radiocabinet, about the opening 3 therein by means of tacks or small screws8. In the form shown, it is perforated for the passage of the shaft I.

An escutcheon plate 9, perforated to disclose the dial 5 and cover 1,but overlying the edges l0 of the cover, may be fastened to the frontwall of the cabinet by screws I0 or the like. The escutcheon plate mayhave any configuration desired, and may be ornate or simple. I haveillustrated one of generally circular form and having extensions ll ateach side, with perforations I2 for the push buttons of an automatictuning means such as that set forth in the co-pending application ofHoward J. Tyzzer, Serial No. 192,258 led Feb. 24, 1938.

I have also shown, as additional control means for the radio set, avolume control knob I3 and a wave band selector knob I4. This wave bandselector knob is connected to a wave band selector switch I5, performinga function in the radio set familiar to those skilled in the art. Thedial 5 is a dial bearing a plurality of scales intended for use withdifferent wave bands as selected by the selector switch I5. Preferably,though not necessarily, indicating means are provided in connection withmy dial to indicate the wave band which the set is operating. In thepreferred embodiment, the dial 5 is translucent. Behind it a plate I6 issecured across the opening 3 in the cabinet wall. On this plate, I mountconcentric vanes I'I, I8, and I9 which underlie the boundary lines ofthe several scales on the dial. In the spaces between these vanes andwithin the innermost vanes I mount one or a series of light means 20, 2I, and 22. These are connected with the selector switch I5 by suitableleads; and the selector switch is caused, in addition to setting theradio apparatus for tuning within a given wave band, to complete anelectrical circuit to the lights appropriate to the scale on the dialfor the wave band so selected. Thus when the radio is adjusted for agiven wave band, the particular scale for that wave band will beilluminated on the dial. To make it clearer to the operator which waveband is being operated in at any given time, the light means for theseveral scales may be made of different colors.

In the embodiment shown, the dial rotates with the condenser shaft. Itis most convenient there- 55 n r in.)

fore to provide an index line 23 upon the cover member 1.

As I have indicated my dial is so constructed as to present the usefulportion of each scale substantially normal to the line of vision whenthe dial is observed aslant to its general plane. Thus the outer edge ofthe dial, i. e. the portion which bears the outermost scale, is beveledas at 24, and is shown in Fig. 2 as` having an angularity ofapproximately 45 to the general plane of the dial. The other concentricscale portions 25 and 26 have very nearly the same angularity to theplane of the dial. The scale portions are connected by oppositelydirected, and steeper, beveled or slanting portions 21 and 28. It willthus be seen that when the dial of Fig. 2 is viewed from an angle ofaproximately 45 to its general plane, the portions of each scale whichlie adjacent the index line 23, will be approximately normal to the lineof vision. The particular angularity illustrated is not a necessarylimitation upon my invention; and it will be within. the skill of theworker in the art to select particular angularities for the scaleportions of the dial so as to cause these scale portions to liesulciently nearly normal to the usual line of vision adopted in viewingthe radio set to make the dial readily readable from the usual posiitonof the operator.

It will be understood that modifications' may be made in my inventionwithout departing from the spirit of it. The dial 5 may be made of aWide variety of materials as will be understood. I have found that anexcellent material to use is pressed translucent Celluloid, which may bewhite, or tinted as desired. Having thus described my invention, what Iclaim as` new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A dial for radio sets, comprising a disc-like member, bearing aplurality of concentric scales or indicia, having an outer beveledportion, bearing the outermost scale and at least one inner portionbearing another scale and lying approximately at the same angle to thegeneral plane of the disc-like member, the said two portions beingconnected by a reversely beveled portion, the said dial means beingtranslucent, in combination with a plate-like member located behind thesaid disc-like member and bearing vanes located substantially at theboundary lines of the said scales, and illuminating means in the spacesdemarked by said vanes 2. A dial for radio sets, comprising a disc-likemember, bearing a plurality of concentric scales or indicia, having anouter beveled portion, bearing the outermost scale and at least oneinner portion bearing another scale and lying approximately at the sameangle to the general plane of the disc-like member, the said twoportions being connected by a reversely beveled portion in combinationwith a cover member, which is translucent and of generally planar shape,but having a beveled marginal portion corresponding substantially to theangularity of the outer portion of said disc-like member.

3. A dial for radio sets, comprising a disc-like member, bearing aplurality of concentric scales or indicia, having an outer beveledportion, bearing the outermost scale and at least one inner portionbearing another scale and lying approximately at the same angle to thegeneral plane of the disc-like member, the said two portions beingconnected by a reversely beveled portion, the said dial means beingtranslucent in combination with a plate-like member located behind thesaid disclike member and bearing vanes located substantially at theboundary lines of said scales, and illuminating means in the spacesdemarkecl by said vanes in combination with a cover member, which istranslucent and of generally planar shape, but having a beveled marginalportion corresponding substantially to the angularty of the outerportion of said disc-like member.

4. A dial for radio sets, comprising a disc-like member, bearing aplurality of concentric scales or indicia, having anv outer beveledportion, bearingthe outermost scale and at least one inner portionbearing another scale and lying approximately at the same angle to thegeneral plane of the disc-like member, the said two portions beingconnected by a reversely beveled portion, said disclike member being ofpressed, translucent Celluloid.

5. In combination in a dial mechanism for a radio set or the like, atransparent cover member of sheet material having a central planarportion and a slanting peripheral portion, and a dial member having acorresponding peripheral slanting portion, and within said slantingportion, concentric angular-ly stepped concentric portions.

WALTER DORWIN TEAGUE, JR.

